Tag Archives: Luke Duecy of ABC affiliate KOMO-TV in Seattle

On Oct. 15, 2004, Jonathan Santos, a U.S. Army corporal stationed in Iraq, was killed by an improvised explosive device.

Several days later, a large trunk arrived at the Bellingham, Wash., home of his mom, Doris Santos.

“It contained all of her son’s personal belongings. Inside were his beret, his lucky Shrek doll and several videotapes he’d shot in Iraq,” reports Luke Duecy of ABC affiliate KOMO-TV in Seattle. “But something unexpected caught Doris’ eye – a little green book. There were 37 entries inside, one for each day Jonathan spent in Iraq.”

Flags for our sons: Doris Santos (right center) on Veterans Day.

That journal led Doris on a painful four- year quest to locate the mothers of her son’s fellow soldiers who perished with him in the attack.

Finally, three days ago – on Veterans Day – Doris’ journey ended with the presentation of Honor and Remember flags to her and two of those moms.

“What a privilege to be a part of this tribute,” HonorAndRemember.org founder George Lutz – whose son, Army Cpl. Tony Lutz, was killed by a sniper in Iraq in December 2005 – tells us. “This is the essence of what we are about.”

On July 4, BlogTalkRadio, kicked off a national campaign to establish Honor and Remember as the official flag honoring the 1.6 million U.S. military troops who have died in action since America’s founding 232 years ago.

Three months later, two U.S. Representatives from Virginia introduced a bill to Congress that, if enacted, would require that the flag be flown at the White House, Capitol, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, national cemeteries, and other federal grounds.

Also on Veteran’s Day, George appeared on BlogTalkRadio’s Buffman and Wrench show – a favorite of U.S. troops stationed in Afghanistan – to update Americans on the campaign.